We getting into the heart of training now and  increasing our mileage over the next two weeks so make sure to pay attention to your body. If your knee, hip, etc start to bother you be sure to start icing for 15 minutes after you run. This really make a huge difference.  Also, as you increase your mileage you need to make sure you start to practice your race day nutrition.

Use last week’s training schedule found here as a reference for the different heart rate training zones. Here is quick breakdown:

• Zone 1 (Z1) is 90-95% of your max heart rate (MHR)
• Zone 2 (z2) is 86-89% of MHR
• Zone 3 (z3) is 75-85% of MHR
• Zone 4 (z4) is 65-74% of MHR

Week  9 of  Marathon training: (12 weeks until race day)

Monday: 60 min of cross training (z1-z2) (I will do a 45 min ride followed by a 15 min brick run)

Tuesday: 1:15 hr run (z2)

Wednesday: 45 min cross training or easy run (z1-z2) (I plan to swim)

Thursday: 1:15 hr  run (z2)

Friday: 60 min of cross training (z1-z2) (I will do same brick workout as Monday)

Sat: 2:00 hr easy run (z1-z2) – be sure to bring along nutrition and run slow! (45-90 sec slower than race pace)

Sun: off or easy swim Continue reading →

I highly recommend getting a GPS watch if you don’t already own one.  They make training so much easier as you can simply look down at your wrist and see your time, distance and pace.  They also help you stick to your training goals since many of the watches allow you to download and track your workouts.  For me personally, the biggest benefit of having the watch is being able to look down and see your current pace.  This ensures that you aren’t going out too fast during a race and that you are keeping the right pace during your training.

Garmin Forerunner 110

I have always owned Garmin watches.  They are simple to use and allow you to track your mileage, heart rate and time among other things.  This is the first Garmin I owned and it is great if you want a basic model for a good price.  It requires very little set up and is easy to navigate.  It shows your current pace, distance and time all on one screen.  You can use a heart rate monitor with it as well but you have to switch to another screen to see your reading.  This is very simple to do. You simply have to press one button to toggle back and forth between the displays.  The battery life on this watch is around 7 hours and you can upload your workouts onto your computer to track them.  This watch has been discontinued by Garmin so you can find some really good deals on it like here

Garmin Forerunner 220

This Garmin is the upgraded version of the 110.  The Forerunner 220 has all the same features as the 110 but has a high-resolution display and a longer battery life (10 hours).  This watch also allows you to automatically sync workouts  to your computer using Garmin’s training software, Garminconnect. It also allows you to upload workouts to social media sites. This watch can be found here. I highly recommend this one if you are wanting to use the watch solely for running. Continue reading →

This week is the official start of training. From now on,  I’ll be using my heart rate monitor on a daily basis. If you have not purchased a heart rate monitor or determined your max heart rate you really need to do so this week. I personally like garmin watches.  This garmin forerunner is a great watch. It is simple to use and not very expensive. I also recommend upgrading your HR monitor strap.  The soft strap found here is much nicer and more comfortable than the ones that come standard with the watches.

There are many benefits to heart rate training.

• Allows you to maximize your training time
• ensures you train hard enough on “hard days” and easy enough on “easy days”
• allows you to improve your performance and time
• ensure you are training at the proper instentisty level at the right time (avoids ineffective “junk” training”

Click here for a detailed write up on heart rate training.  Continue reading →

Ever thought of running a full or half marathon? Follow my blog and train with me! I start training for the NYC marathon on June 14.  I plan to post my workouts for the week every Sunday along with different running and training tips. I will also post a workout every Sunday for those of you who want to run a half marathon.  Fall is the perfect time to run a full or half marathon.  The weather is usually very mild and there are an abundance of races.  Now is the time to sign up and start training!!

(this is my time from a half marathon I did a few weeks ago on a
VERY hilly course)  Continue reading →